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Augmented Pixels Co (ex. AR23D Studio) has gone through re-branding process and can proudly present its new look at augmentedpixels.com

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Pioneer launches NavGate head-up display (HUD) that combines augmented reality with smartphone connectivity to provide the virtual equivalent of a 30-inch display in front of the eyes of a driver. It allows the driver to fully focus on the road at all times throughout their journey.

It features light sensors that automatically adjusts the brightness of the projections by monitoring the amount of light, Turn-By-Turn Directions with guided instructions will display current speed, speed limits, red light and speed cameras alerts, a clock, and estimated time of arrival and distance to your destination.

The Satnav supports various smartphones, which connect to the unit via USB and is compatible with the CoPilot and NNG’s iGO primo smartphone apps that display navigation instructions, points of interest and road hazards.

Girish Janday, product executive at Pioneer, said: “Two essential elements for driving are having a clear view on the road and knowing where you’re going. Pioneer’s NavGate HUD has been designed with both of those ideas in mind, ensuring drivers navigate without losing focus, keeping distractions to a minimum. Its competitive price-point will open up this innovative technology to a broader audience.”

A ‘Merkelapp’ for smartphones is an Augmented reality app which was lauched by her election team and which appears to make billboard posters of the German chancellor speak directly to voters.

The app automatically recognizes Merkel’s face through a camera when being pointed at a campaign poster with her image and begins playing a video featuring her talking. Merkel appears to speak out of the poster, saying: “Germany is doing well today but we cannot take this for granted. I want us to be successful in the future together.” Merkel’s campaign manager Hermann Groehe said in the interview that he hoped the new app would help mobilize more voters to support her conservatives in what he predicted to be a “tight race”.

Augmented reality in smartphone applications was also used by Obama in his campaign to win a second term in office when exclusive content was revealed after scanning a $5 note.

Blippar has just unveiled an augmented reality passport with the aim of keeping kids entertained and reducing stress for parents during long-distance flights.

The app is triggered by a British passport. By ‘blipping’ the front page of a passport, a 3D plane will appear and take off from the passport. Users can then navigate the aircraft through the clouds by turning the passport. Besides the 3D model packing checklists and a language center where you can practice learning a new language (Croatian, Italian, French or Spanish) are also included in the app.

Jess Butcher, CMO of Blippar said: ‘With 14 million UK holidaymakers expected to go abroad this summer, we wanted to create something fun, informative and engaging that any person travelling abroad could use. Kids often get bored at the airport and we wanted parents to be able to concentrate on enjoying their holidays and having fun with their kids instead of being stressed out. By Blipping the front cover of their passport travellers can access a truly interactive travel experience.’

The Giant Observation Wheel (GOW) or the Nippon Moon, designed by Dutch architectural studio UNStudio, is currently in development in Japan. It is going to be twice as big as the London Eye.

The structure will consist of 32 single and double-decked pods or capsules which will allow for augmented reality views of the city. The Nippon Moon will also come with an app for smartphones and tablets, which will allow users to communicate with the people in other capsules. Guests of the wheel will be able to switch from reality to augmented reality views in the capsule.

“The latest technology is incorporated in the capsules to create integrated augmented reality that creates new levels of engagement – both in terms of the surrounding views and through communication and interaction between users,” said Van Berkel. “Through this, the Nippon Moon becomes not just an observation platform, but a platform for heightened observation and the stimulation of the imagination.”

At the moment, the project is in the design phase, but as soon when it is constructed, a new iconic experience will be coming to a Japanese city.

A young start-up GlassFit claims to develop the first augmented reality exercise platform for Google Glass. A collection of exercise games, this platform consists of, allows users to race against themselves, their friends and zombies. What the company proposes is a Motivation and, of course, amusement to start exercising regularly.

Idea shown in the video below is really interesting. Check it out yourself!

Last week the Qualcomm showed off a brand new addition to its Vuforia Augmented Reality platform. “Smart Terrain” (this is the name of an addition) brings a living room landscape straight into your mobile game.

Technology allows developers to create apps that can see real world objects, calculated their height/width/depth and then build visuals to interact with them. The app starts by asking you to choose your “play space.” You can do this by tapping the table, and it maps out a 3D grid around those physical objects. After the app identifies the objects and the game begins. Virtual terrain began to grow all over the objects. In the prototype game, you play a character that has to defend a tower from the creatures that are attacking it.

“Smart Terrain” will be available in the Qualcomm Vuforia SDK in April 2014, but right now you can watch the demo below.

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has been pushing into the mobile space by setting its sights on augmented reality and NFC-based mobile payment. It has recently launched McMission, a new augmented reality application that is meant to promote awareness of environmental issues and sustainability.

The McMission application features four mini-games that focus on renewable energy and efficiency. McDonald’s has a a lot to before it can be considered environmentally friendly, but through such campaigns it informs its customers of different environmental issues awaiting and about the steps are made by McDonalds to limit restaurant’s emissions and lower its impact on the environment.

Japanese telecommunication company KDDI has launched a campaign to promote the effect of its 4G LTE technology on smartphones. The campaign includes TV, cinema, print, OOH, adds and an app called ODOROKI – a game that can be played on all of the different screen elements of the campaign.

Users choose between two characters, a boy Yanagi and a girl Rina, and help them get to their love despite multiple obstacles. Overall the game allows 432 different story scenarios, at the end of which main characters meet.

“Anything can become a screen; this is a vision and a mission for all who works in the multi-media industry,” said Kentaro Shihaku, creative director/CEO of Glider, the agency behind the campaign.

“What if the city itself becomes a device and functions as a screen? I wanted to illustrate this vision for this campaign under the name Play Screen. Play, here, has a triple meaning of have fun, performance and playing content through different devices,” he said.

Dubai firm PIxelbug has recently launched an augmented reality campaign at Mall of the Emirates.

Players can see virtual objects visible only to them as they move around their real surroundings with a newly developed waterproof smartphone as a controller. At the end they had to drop the phone into water, which sent their scores to a leaderboard. The player with the highest score each day won a tablet computer.

Dany El Eid, founder and managing partner at pixelbug, said about 300 people played every day for the past week, which is enough to consider campaign sucessful in terms of customer engagement. Unfortunately for those who became hooked on the game, there are no plans to release it. “This isn’t an android app that will be available for the public,” Mr El Eid said.

An Ohio surgeon Dr. Christopher Kaeding recently consulted with a colleagues during a knee surgery using Google Glass, a head-mounted computer and camera device.

The procedure was livestreamed to a group of medical students and Dr. Robert Magnussen, an assistant professor of clinical orthopedics at Ohio State, who watched from his office on computers. In this particular operation, Glass’s purpose was to allow Kaeding to join a Google Hangout, Google’s video conferencing service. A camera is attached to the front of the device that offers a point-of-view image and the ability to take both photos and videos while the device is worn.

“To be honest, once we got into the surgery, I often forgot the device was there,” Dr. Kaeding said in a news release. “It just seemed very intuitive and fit seamlessly.”

5. ‘Business Catalog’ from Augment – Salespeople’s Assistant

Business Catalog from Augment lets businesses synchronize their catalog of 3D models ad then distribute across their team members and customers in the form of offline visualization for $30 per month.

“We work with companies who already use 3D models,” co-founder and CMO Mickaël Jordan said. “We support 3ds Max, Maya or even SketchUp files,” he continued.

According to the press release augment now has a community of over 17,000 registered 3D designers working in industrial design, packaging, character design and merchandising. These designers upload their 3D models for free on the Augment website. By using the Augment app they can visualise their projects in the actual size being integrated in a real environment.

With this business catalog, everybody on the sales team has the same 3D portfolio on their tablets and phones. The content is downloaded to the devices, which means there shouldn’t be worries about connectivity.

Search giant Google has bought patents from Taiwan-based technology manufacturer Foxconn, as it continues to move forward with Google Glass. Assembly giant Foxconn confirmed that it had sold patents on Head Mounted Technology to Google that generate “a virtual image and is superimposed on a real-world view”. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Pocket Tutor: Math was designed to help children learn math in a new way. Point your iPhone’s camera at the math problem, and the app will recognize the problem and show you, if your answer is right or wrong. This is the best and the fastest way to check yourself, it’s almost like having a math tutor with you all the time. You can also use “show correct answers” option, if you can’t solve a problem, or if you’re just too lazy.

To start using app just print the worksheets provided with the app. The creators of the app also provide learning tutorials that will help children learn math in a fun way.

The app currently supports only addition and subtraction, but more advanced math is to come in the near future. Pocket Tutor is a great example of how augmented reality can be used in education. It can help to engage students in their own learning by making this process fun with new technology.

Did you know one in eight boys are color blind, while only one in thirty girls are color blind? So now there is free augmented reality app to help colorblind people to distinguish colors. At the same time it might be useful for designers, as it has colorblindness simulation mode, which can help us see as color deficient people see.

Enliven – Color Blind Aid is a free Android app developed by Deadly Apps. It has 6 different colorblindness modes to switch between; all of them are available colorblindness simulation mode and colorblindness aid mode.

Designers can simulate color deficiencies to see what a color deficient person would see when looking at interior designs, website designs, or game designs. Enliven can show a designer exactly what needs to be changed in a design to ensure that a colorblind audience will not be excluded.

Colorblind aid mode detects which colors cannot be distinguished by a person, based on selected type of deficiency, and uses special algorithm to create color overlay to show colorblind users what they are missing. For example someone who is red – green colorblind will now see a blue overlay on top of anything that is red, so they can tell the difference between red and green.

The app works in real time augmenting the live stream from phone’s camera. Now we’re waiting to see this app integrated into a pair of AR glasses. Integrated into AR glasses, this app could provide colorblind people continuous aid without having to hold their phone in their hands.

This week, Arch Virtual released a new interactive, real-time architectural experience for the Panoptic Group, based out of Chicago, Illinois.

Arch Virtual used Unity3D – multiplatform game developing engine. The result is great interactive architectural visualization, which can be embedded in a website, or downloaded as a stand-alone application. But the most interesting is version that is compatible with Oculus Rift. It has also been made available for download.

The virtual application enables potential buyers of a real estate development project to explore the building before construction starts.

“The virtual model helped us sell this property much faster than we could have otherwise. It was very cost effective, and has proven to be a helpful marketing tool for our business,” said Roman Popovych, of Panoptic Group.

Using Oculus Rift brings it to a completely new level. This experience is far more immersive then just looking at building’s model on the computer screen. Can you imagine how cool it would be to use it with some brain–computer interface like Emotiv Insight?

Augmented Pixels (ex AR23D Studio) is also working on project for architertural visualization, which will support Oculus Rift. Follow the updates to be the first one to hear about the release.

In-car navigation systems are invaluable ways to help you reach your destination. What if that same level of convenience helped you navigate after getting out of the car?

“Door-to-Door Navigation,” is just the latest in a string of high-tech pushes the automaker has made in the past few years. It started with Mercedes doubling its resources and employees at its Silicon Valley research center, which allowed the automaker to work on a thoroughly revised infotainment platform and develop one of the first comprehensive integrations of Apple’s iPhone into its entry level and youth-focused CLA.

Mercedes already has a working prototype of the technology and is working with Google to turn it into a reality. In its current iteration, you input an address into Glass at home. That information transfers to your in-car navigation when you get in your car and plug your phone in. Then, when you get out of the car, the navigation returns again to Glass so you can complete your journey.

Mercedes “Digital DriveStyle App” works only with iOS yet, as iOS is the dominant platform for Mercedes owners. Google doesn’t offer Glass support for the iPhone yet. So in order for the destination information to be sent from the car to Glass, Mercedes connects to its own cloud server between the iPhone and the embedded infotainment system.

Johann Jungwirth, Mercedes’ North American R&D President & CEO says that Android integration for Mercedes vehicles is coming in 2014 and makes it clear that Mercedes has every intention of integrating some form of Google Glass functionality into its future products.

Global design firm, Gensler, and digital signage and interactive agency, The Hive, unveil an innovative augmented reality experience. Known as The Hive / Gensler Multi Surface Experience, the installation is designed to engage and inform visitors to Gensler’s award-winning downtown Los Angeles office. We’ve seen touch-friendly tables before, but they’re rarely so slick as the Multi Surface Experience.

The installation lets guests explore Gensler’s architectural portfolio just by walking up to a wavy table. An overhead projector, Kinect for Windows and special software present an interface wherever people stand; when users choose to learn more about a project, it pops up on a wall-mounted 4K display. An interface appears on the table allowing visitors to use movements such as hand motions to digitally explore the content of Gensler’s urban architecture and modern cities monograph. The installation enhances each object with a new layer of digital content, and adds new context to the contents of the book.

The Hive/Gensler Multi Surface Experience was built by The Hive using the latest products from technology partners Canon, Planar and YCD Multimedia.

Disney Infinity: Action! is the mobile app component of the upcoming Disney Infinity video game, released in the App Store on August 15th in anticipation of the release of the core game this week. This app will support the game by allowing fans to create short videos which can then be shared on YouTube, Facebook or by email.

The three available characters, Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles, Sulley of Monsters, Inc., and Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, each come with a distinct set of actions. There are also around 30 different animations and props.

One of the main ideas behind this app is to extend the experience of the console game into the mobile world.

If you aren’t an auto-savvy person, learning what all the buttons and lights do in your new car can be a bit tough. But Audi decided to help drivers by releasing an AR companion app, using technology from German-based AR company Metaio, for its entry-level A3 that explains features in the cabin and engine bay.The app offers information on 300 individual elements of the Audi A3, with detailed how-to instructions represented as animated 3D overlays.

This isn’t the first app of its kind from Audi; the first was released a while ago for its Europe-only A1. The new app for the A3 improves on the A1’s by multiplying the number of components the driver can identify through the app.

The A3 app is now available for free on iOS devices in English, German and Japanese. An Android version will follow in the coming weeks. TheAudi eKurzinfo app is a free download, but does require the purchase of an Audi A3.

Recently a new exhibit was displayed at Deakin University Art Gallery near Melbourne, Australia. It uses augmented reality and tablets to turn tattoos into works of 3D art. The exhibit was created by a virtual artist Alison Bennett and was called “Shifting Skin”. The augmented reality component may be accessed via a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet via the Aurasma app.

Free e-books were made available via a project that encouraged citizens to read classics. The idea of such projects was previously implemented in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt.

An unusual libraries have appeared at the central streets of two Ukrainian cities. These libraries consist of stands with painted shelves with books on them. An individual QR code is printed on the back of each of the edition, allowing everyone to download a book in the electronic form by means of a mobile device. This interesting project was created and realized by the company MTS Ukraine.

Any person who wants to use the library with QR codes and read books has an opportunity to choose from more than half a thousand of volumes of different authors. More than 50% of the library is dedicated to classical literature, but modern literature is also represented on the shelves as well as some books, having read which users of mobile devices can learn the history of Ukraine and meet the traditions of the Ukrainian culture.

For Android developers and designers who want to explore the most innovative and useful applications for cutting-edge augmented reality glasses, Epson is hosting a “See Smarter: Moverio Glasses Hackathon – Summer 2013″, Aug. 24-25 at its U.S. headquarters in Long Beach, California. A grand prize of $1000 will be awarded to the team that presents a concept or demo that best takes advantage of the Moverio platform. Two honorable mentions of $500 each will also be awarded. Space is very limited: 30 Developers, 10 designers, and 10 BizDev/ Marketing people.

The event will bring together a group of eager developers, designers, and business people who want to explore the most innovative and useful applications for augmented reality glasses.

Digital Memorial has launched their Augmented Reality service to the funeral industry. Families are given the free Digital Memorial app to access a full life story of their loved one. There are no attachments to or markers on the gravestone no interference with the area.

When the family or friends open the app, point it at the gravestone the app will recognize ‘the name’ and up pops the image and life story of a loved one. Families can choose a public or password protected private setting. They can also edit or update information on the page.

Richard Longworth, Founder of Digital Memorial commented – ‘We specialize in technology based memorialisation services for the global funeral service industry and the trade response we’ve had so far suggests this service is a complete ‘game changer in the market’.
URL: http://www.digital-memorial.com/services/digital-memorial-ar

2. Uniqul Launches Fast Facial-Recognition Payment System

Finnish start-up Uniqul has launched a facial-recognition payment system that enables customers to pay without having a wallet, credit card or mobile device in hand – paying is as easy as giving the camera a nod and pressing ‘OK’ on a point-of-sale tablet.

Developed in Finland, the tablet-based system is designed to be placed at retail checkout points, where biometric sensors match their face to the corresponding Uniqul account instead of asking the customer to pay by cash or credit card. After the face is recognised the customer should confirm his purchase by clicking “ok” on the display. The whole transaction will be done in less than 5 seconds – the time it usually takes you to pull out your wallet.

“We are using military grade algorithms to make sure that the security of our system is impeccable. We have written and improved our program so that it can perform everything in the blink of an eye. We have developed an user friendly interface and made the system easy to use,” – claims the co-founder of Uniqul Ruslan Pisarenko.

Maptek is the leading provider of innovative software, hardware and services for the global mining industry.

The new company’s product – PerfectDig – is augmented reality system that cuts through the communication barriers between engineers, surveyors, supervisors and operators. PerfectDig uses laser scanners to build 3D model of actual excavation state and compares this model to mining plans and design information. PerfectDig is aimed to increase productivity by adjustisng excavation before mistakes are made.

The system provides real-time underdig and overdig information using color overlays. PerfectDig can present information on a handheld device, in virtual real time to put the evidence in front of operations staff in the pit. The augmented reality of PerfectDig allows them to choose what information they see – layers, depths, overdig or underdig, with volumes and measurements at the touch of a button. They can immediately see what needs to be done to conform to design, or where to change the design.

PerfectDig is aimed to increase productivity by adjustisng excavation before mistakes are made.

Swarm! is a Massively Multiplayer Online Augmented Reality Simulation (MMOARS) game in which you are an ant foraging, fighting, and working tirelessly for your Colony and your life! Designed exclusively for Glass, Swarm! can be played with minimal user input or updates while allowing for an immersive team gaming experience with surprising strategic depth.

Swarm! simulates the experience of being a member of a functioning ant Colony. In Swarm!, you play an individual ant working to expand your own Colony and defend it against rival Colonies. As you walk around your neighborhood, commute to work, or meet a friend for lunch downtown, you automatically collect resources and leave Trails that mark the environment with the color of your Colony. Crossing Trails left by another ant can signal the location of useful resources, Colony members in need, or rival Colonies encroaching on your territory. A direct encounter with another ant from your Colony might more evenly distribute your resources for the Colony’s benefit, but an encounter with an ant from a different Colony might result in a fight that leaves you without any food at all!

The game was developed by Daniel Estrada, a philosophy professor at Illinois State University, and Jonathan Lawhead of Columbia University. Estrada and Lawhead have partnered with Interdisciplined, an educational non-profit organisation, which will help them release Swarm! under an open source licence. This will ensure that the platform can be used for other distributed organising projects, and guarantee the reliability and safety of their code, the developers said.

The armchairs and bookcases never look as perfect in your cramped apartment as they do in the color-coordinated showrooms. So Ikea’s new catalogue allows users to place virtual furniture in their homes via augmented reality.

All you need is a smartphone and a copy of Ikea’s catalogue. This allows you to see what any piece of Ikea furniture looks like in your home. Users just have to place the printed catalog in place of where they’d like to see the furniture, scan it with the IKEA catalog app on mobile devices, and choose a product—with the help of augmented-reality, the app would show what products would look like in place of the physical catalog.

The app also lets you experience the scale of the objects in relation to your living space, as you can see in the video below.

According to recent Microsoft’s patent application, the company may be working on its own pair of augmented reality glasses for Xbox One. The new patent describes augmented-reality glasses and a method for matching players via the glasses.

According to the patent, the augmented reality specs receive “eye-tracking information, depth information, facial recognition information, potential player head-mounted display device information, and/or potential player voice data”. Once both players have signed in, it’s game on. The device will even calculate how much room you’ve got, and suggest a suitable game based on your surroundings.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about glasses for Xbox. A 56-page document describing Xbox 360 successor leaked in June 2012. Among other interesting features it was describing Project Fortaleza glasses for Xbox that would work over Wi-Fi or 4G.

Oakland Raiders punter Chris Kluwe is a gay rights advocate, a video game expert and the author of a new book. But if the eight-year veteran’s bold predictions for augmented reality come true, you’ll also know him as the NFL’s first Google Glass Explorer and resident tech evangelist.

He spoke to FORBES on his Wednesday off-day from summer training camp to explain how he’s been able to film some of the action there and detail how he thinks augmented reality like Glass will transform football and all of sports.

Video filmed from player’s point of view can give a much more visceral feel for the speed and intensity of top-level football in a way we can only rationalize from a television broadcast’s wide angles.

“You can see the rush coming in, what it’s like going down the field,” he says. “That’s the revolutionary part. When you have the view of running down the field with 21 other guys all moving at real time, that first person perspective, no one has gotten that sense before. That’s what people want. The speed of the game, how chaotic it is.”

Kluwe says, athletes will be recording their every move in future. “Sports will look completely different,” he argues, as athletes will receive in-game information over their devices while recording their every look and move for later analysis. In Kluwe’s future NFL, players will wear clear visors that that can project to them the next play to run as they are getting back into position from the last one. Quarterbacks can get a flashing color when a receiver is very open or which area is about to become a good place to look. Running backs could be alerted that a new path to run has just opened up.

National Bank of Kuwait is holding contest with a yacht as main prize. To attract customers, Bank is giving a 360-degree augmented reality tour of an Azimut Yacht that can be accessed by scanning an image with the Snipp Khayal mobile app. Offering virtual tours could help consumers get a better idea of products they cannot see and touch right away.
“Few people probably have been on a yacht like this and therefore, giving them a virtual experience of what it feels like to own one will spur participation,” said Atul Sabharwal, cofounder/CEO of Snipp.

The ad features an image of a 40-foot Azimut Yacht and a QR code provided that takes consumers to either the App Store or Google Play to download the Snipp Khayal app if they do not already have it installed. Consumers are automatically entered in the contest to win the yacht by scanning the image and viewing the inside of boat.

“Just as wine needs to breathe, Häagen-Dazs® ice cream needs to soften for a few minutes after you remove your carton from the freezer,” says Häagen-Dazs ad.

Häagen-Dazs wants to ensure that you’re able to taste all of the premium ingredients and craftsmanship that has gone into each tub of their ice cream. Therefore Häagen-Dazs has announced their first augmented reality app that will help you to understand the exact amount of time needed to prepare their ice cream in order to get the full effect in terms of flavor and consistency.

Häagen-Dazs Concerto Timer features two-minute-long music concertos – the performance of Bach Inventions No. 14 played by a violinist and cellist. Watching the concertos makes it easier to hold yourself back from the ice-cream while it softens.

Portsmouth FC are introducing augmented reality into the matchday experience for the 2013-14 season. Via a partnership with Navigate Digital and Blippar, Portsmouth fans will have the opportunity to view interactive video content from their matchday programmes.

Portsmouth have promised “exciting video content that is planned to run throughout the programme for every home league game this season”. We haven’t seen any examples of what Portsmouth FC are planning yet, so we can only guess what we will be able to see.

Though the stadium doesn’t offer full Wi-Fi connectivity yet, the content will work on supporters’ mobile or tablet devices when connected to a Wi-Fi network outside of the stadium, or inside of the park depending on their network availability,” said Engagement manager at Portsmouth FC, Micah Hall, commented.

Have been missing really useful AR applications? Have a look at JobLens – a Windows Phone 8 app that helps users search for jobs near their home. The app uses augmented reality to show the user exactly where the job is in relation to their current location, and display information about the company. It will also access your social media profiles – including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Windows Live – to check out whether any of your friends are connected with a hiring manager at any available jobs. Finally, JobLens allows easy resume sharing via Microsoft SkyDrive account, and if application is successful, JobLens can provide users with directions to the interview.

Nokia hopes that their app could eventually end up as shaping the future landscape of job hunting – we’ll see! To do so Nokia partnered with a start-up incubator Entrepreneur First in London. At an launching event in London, Nokia gave 30 graduates that have recently completed Entrepreneur First’s accelerator programme and formed 11 start-ups valued at £15m a detailed overview of the JobLens app, and challenged them to build new businesses.

“We want to challenge these young minds to imagine how JobLens can be enhanced and refined to address UK unemployment, a challenge that unfortunately all too many countries are combating,” said Nokia’s Bryan Biniak.

Sony has its 3D head-mounted display on the market since 2011. All previous products were just cool entertainment gadgets for watching movies and playing games. But the new HMD is volunteering to act as the viewing end of medical endoscopes.

Hirai and Co. have just unveiled what amounts to a retooled HMZ-T2, dubbed the HMM-3000MT, which helps surgeons peek inside a patient’s body in 2D or 3D – the latter of which is said to improve precision by providing better depth perception.

This new HMD is fitted with 0.7-inch (18.0mm diagonal) OLED panels (1280 x 720) as its sibling, but compared to HMZ-T2 it provides better comfort. It has been designed to provide balance when the user wears it in a standing position, while the cushioning at the forehead and on the top of the head provides comfort even when worn for long periods of time.

Google Inc. is investing in a Taiwanese microchip maker that makes chips used in its Google Glass. When the deal closes, Google will own a 6.3 percent stake in Taiwan-based Himax Display Inc., (HDI) a subsidiary of Himax Technologies, Inc., though it could own up to 14.8 percent if it exercises the right to make an additional investment after one year. At this point, Himax Technologies owns 81.5 percent of HDI and says it will remain the subsidiary’s majority shareholder. Other investors include KPCB Holdings, Khosla Ventures, and Intel Capital Corporation.

Funds from Google will be used to make production upgrades so that HDI can roll out more LCOS chips and modules used in head-mounted displays like Google Glass, heads-up displays (HUD), and pico-projector products.

DAQRI has been known for developing augmented reality technology for enterprise applications. The company has also developed applications for the education, medical, and industrial manufacturing sectors. On July 24 DAQRI launched its first consumer-focused product by way of a Kickstarter campaign.

Elements 4D is an interactive chemistry learning kit that consists of a set of laser-etched wooden blocks illustrating a different chemical element on each and an augmented reality mobile app which utilizes smartphone and tablet cameras to view and interact with the blocks. Beaming the app’s viewfinder onto the blocks instantly transforms them into 3D representations of that element. The app also allows students to combine the elements from the periodic table by putting wooden blocks one next to other to create chemical reactions and new molecules in the virtual space. For example, touch a hydrogen to an oxygen and the viewer will see a chemically correct water molecule displayed on their screen.

Google’s ambitious augmented reality glasses have yet to be officially launched to the general public and they have already been hacked. It has been hacked by a relatively low-tech tool: QR codes.

Researchers from Lookout Mobile found out that they could use QR codes to connect Glass to a rogue WiFi network, thereby giving them access to the device’s various features and the information that it stores. The QR codes also showed themselves capable of crashing Glass entirely, forcing users to reboot their device before they could use it further. Such QR codes can be placed nearly anywhere (i.e. even t-shirts with these codes could create a problematic issue for Glass users).

According to the leading security firm Symantec Google’s Glass is also susceptible to attacks that are not based on QR codes. Symantec notes that Glass could be compromised through the names attributed to WiFi networks. Fo example, a user may set his preferred network as he has at home.This means that user’s device will try to connect to this network no matter where it is. A hacker can easily respond to the probes sent out by the device to find its preferred network by posing as the network and offering WiFi connectivity. Once connected, the hacker has access to the glasses.

Lookout Mobile as well as Symantec immediately reported their findings to Google in order to help the company develop some security features.

We have already told you about Poppy a few weeks ago. It’s that device that lets you watch and record 3-D photos and videos using your iPhone. It’s kind of like a Viewmaster for the digital age.

A lot happened since we first wrote about this device. The company met its funding goal, raising more than $150,000 (compared to the $40,000 it was hoping to raise). It’s also announced a slightly more expensive version of the device in white.

With that success already behind it, the team behind Poppy is thinking about other things that can be done with the device, looking to go beyond just taking and viewing 3-D photos and videos. One possibility is to provide its customers with 3-D-based games, and it’s courting game developers to make that a reality.

Founders see an opportunity for augmented reality and virtual reality games being made to work with Poppy. Poppy can work as a viewfinder for AR games making them far more immersive.. Developers could even use the iPhone’s volume buttons, available at the top of the device, for controls.

The Kickstarter campaign is still open, so you can get your Poppy till July 26.

Developed by the Human Interface Technology Lab New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ), ‘ColAR’ is a computer program that transforms colouring book pages into animated 3D models. Actually, computer version exists more than a year, the HIT Lab NZ was providing this software for free for the Christchurch Kidsfest 2011 event.

The mobile version has been launched recently for Android and iOS. The free mobile app is available from App Store and Google Play, the colouring pages can be downloaded from the official site. All pages can be downloaded for free, but only one has free AR animation. Animation for other pages has to be unlocked via inn-app purchase (colAR Mix App is free to unlock all pages during 15-28 July 2013).

The YouTube video below is seemingly from Disney’s research centre in Pittsburgh and shows their latest venture into augmented reality with the help of a pico projector and a children’s story book.

The project is called HideOut. The basic explanation of the technology at work is simple enough. The book has special infrared-absorbing ink — invisible to the human eye — placed on specific areas of the page. Standard printer ink can be printed over the infrared ink, so a storybook can have normal imagery, but the imagery can actually be tracked. The mobile projector uses a built-in camera to sense the ink, then projects digital images onto the page’s surface that are animated to interact with the markers.

As it’s not much fun holding the projector in your hands all the time, the goal is to eventually integrate the projector into a mobile phone, and make the technology available to developers to build apps for. But we believe the best user experience for this technology can be achieved by integrating it with CastAR or SixthSense or any other wearable gesture-based projection interface which leaves both your free.

Passengers passing through the Terminal 1 transit area in Abu Dhabi International Airport have last week been able to interact with different types of animals and nature thanks to an augmented reality project in collaboration with National Geographic. For four days, starting 14th July, creative works of art were being displayed in a never seen before way offering travelers an exclusive experience.

The innovative National Geographic campaign provides a unique new concept in which allows passengers to experience near-live visuals and an opportunity to interact with different types of animals and creatures. As passenger traffic increases this summer season, Abu Dhabi Duty Free is experiencing high footfall, enhancing the audience for this one-of-a-kind innovative works of art.

Millform, the Switzerland-based startup, has launched an augmented reality game Gbanga Famiglia. Gbanga Famiglia is location based social game which brings game universe similar GTA, Second Life, or Minecraft to life.

The player assumes the role of a Mafioso with bold career plans. Initially starting for the “friendly” Police fraction, the player has to visit real-world places in order to collect precious items and to take-over establishments such as bars, restaurants and banks. Collecting items enables you to bribe your mighty Famiglia Don through gifts. Members of wealthy Famiglias are stronger and more successful in take-overs. Further, you can exchange rare items with your friends and allies.

The core elements of the game are the so called side-quests, the geo-based missions which include returning virtual suitcases to real banks, collaborative raids and assembly of police cars from scattered car parts.

New type of augmented reality glasses called GlassUp have recently launched as an Indiegogo offering. It is said to be able display texts, turn by turn directions, emails, incoming calls, display your heartbeat and translation. Design of GlassUp is more familiar and less exotic than Google Glass, but the information is displayed to you without having to look up in a weird direction.

It is more of a phone accessory than a self-contained unit, meaning, for example, that in order to get GPS coordinates it’ll also need to be paired with your phone.The GlassUp glasses will also have pretty long battery life and the information on the screen will be projected in monochrome.

Delivery date of GlassUp is February 2014. The Super Early Bird pricing begins at $199 and the prices go up based on feature and option availability. Those interested will also be able to grab a model with a camera for $399. At this time the Indiegogo campaign has 30 days remaining and they have raised just over $11,000 towards a goal of $150,000.

Pingtime is a table tennis concept that captivates the players in an augmented reality world, where surfaces bend and fluorescent balls send ripples of electricity.

The setup was developed by Sergiu Doroftei, Bogdan Susma, Ion Cotenescu, and Silviu Badea for a Romanian electronic music and arts festival called “Rokolectiv,” the table features a surface that visually reacts to the match in real-time. As the players become more involved in the game, Pingtime examines whether computer animations are challenging their reaction speed.

Pingtime uses a combination of an infrared camera to track the ball and a surface display that visually reacts to the ball’s position in real time. Everything is equipped with sensors, and the table then projects different colors and patterns of light as the paddles swing over the table, and as the ball flies over. The result is both impressive and a bit trippy.

3. Augmented Reality Concept Mixes with Traditional Board Games

Nocturnal Media has set its sights on bringing augmented reality to traditional gaming. It has teamed with renowned game designer Stewart Wieck to develop a new augmented reality prototype, titles Darkling Plain, a fantasy board game that is meant to enhance traditional gaming. Game prototype is featured on Kickstarter.com. It is a fantasy board game that utilizes AR technology on smart devices such as iPhones to create stunning 3D graphics. The Darkling Plain Kickstarter.com campaign seeks community engagement and backers to achieve its goal of raising $120,000.

“Augmented reality demonstrates the potential to combine the best of both video games and board games,” says game co-designer Stewart Wieck. “Outstanding board games have clean, simple gameplay that leads to complex results and offer an irreplaceable social component, while video games have an undeniable visual appeal and invisibly perform complicated calculations. Darkling Plain combines these social and technological strengths.”

4. Augmented Quilt aims to Combat Symptoms of Loneliness by Children Staying in Hospital

A patchwork quilt designed by Joshua Barnes aims to comfort hospitalised children by allowing them to helping them to communicate with their families using augmented reality.

Each of the 20 squares quilt consists of is decorated with a unique multi-coloured animal or plant design and can be linked to an individual person (friend or family member). These people can then leave messages for children to access with an app which uses the camera on a phone or tablet to recognise the unique image and overlay content — a picture, photo or video.

“With the Augmented Quilt I was looking to apply Augmented Reality technology to a meaningful situation outside of of its conventional uses in advertising and marketing. An issue I was particularly drawn to is separation issues caused by children spending long periods of time in hospital.” says Barnes.”It also played into the idea of the quilt being a magic object and playful for the child, and hopefully it all adds up to making it an easier experience for them.”

According to Barnes the next stage of the project will be secure funding, perhaps through Kickstarter, to research the effectiveness of quilts in hospital, before moving towards marketing and retailing them.

Hateya, Belgium’s finalist for Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2013, developed a system that uses a helmet with augmented reality glasses, as well as a small computer and sensors inside the firefighters’ clothing to keep track of his location. To find his way out, the firefighter would just have to follow the arrows that will appear on the glasses.

The system titled “ComeBack” works autonomously and just a click of a button built into the clothing enables it. Because of being used indoors, “ComeBack” system would obviously have a drawback – GPS would not work to get precise location data, so in the current prototype, the system measures the steps a firefighter takes inside the building and a compass to determine the route somebody took inside a building. This approach, the team argues, is very accurate, though they are also looking into alternatives to make the positioning even more precise.